The Huntress and the Rogue
by Otoshigo
Summary: A lonely prince escapes from his tower, only to run into a famous wolf hunter in red. Together they travel to the darkest parts of the world in search of his mother and the answers to his past. However, can their fledgling feelings survive in the face of his darkest secrets? [DARK Grimm AU, Adrienette, more warnings within]
1. Chapter 1

**AN/Warnings:** _[Dark Grimm AU, gender bender, gender dysphoria, implications of underage Non-Con, suicidal thoughts, graphic death]_ Of course I take fairy tales and turn them into something grim. ;P But seriously, this story is much more on the mature side of my spectrum. Also, Gender Dysphoria plays a huge part in this. I still encourage you to learn about it, but you don't _have_ to read this if it makes you uncomfortable. In order words, don't flame me for no good reason. It does not make me a happy writer. (Just a warning, when I go dark. I can go pretty dark.)

~o~

"Father, please! Just let me out! You can't keep me here forever!"

The frustrated screams echoed throughout the tall stone tower, isolated in the forest where no one could hear them. A masked sorcerer, cloaked in purple and black, stood impassively in front of his charge: a young beautiful blond girl with enchanting green eyes and more notably waves and waves of long blonde hair that raveled all along the floor. She glared up at him, her face scrunched up with anger, fists clenched at her sides.

"Nonsense, child," the masked sorcerer replied, his tone dripping in condescension. "The world isn't safe out there. It's the world that kept your mother from us." His gloved hand cupped the girl's face, tilting her chin upwards. "I won't have her daughter taken as well. Now, I have several more dresses for you and-"

The blonde girl batted his hand away. "I don't _want_ more dresses! I don't want to wear dresses, father! I _hate_ them! And I hate this _stupid hair!"_ she cried, grabbing whole fistfuls of the tresses. Her eyes brimmed with tears, feeling as though she were arguing with a _wall._ "Father, please, why are you doing this?"

"It's for your own good," the sorcerer replied, unmoved by the show. They had gone through this many times before. "Clearly, you are insensible right now and in no condition for company. I shall take my leave."

As frustrated as she was, the thought of being left alone again was a far more frightening thought. "No, wait, father-!" the girl cried, grabbing his arm. "You've only just come! Can't you stay for-"

"Cannot, and not when you're like this," the sorcerer answered, wrenching his limb from her grasp. "Perhaps another month in solitude will teach you to better your manners."

" _NO!"_ the girl screamed in horror, but the masked sorcerer was already phasing through the wall. She ran to him, but was only met with cold stone. Her hands dragged down the stone as she sank down to her knees, ruining her green-gold dress in the process. As ever, her hair bundled around her, threatening to drown her in its weaves.

Her face twisted in anger, cutting into her hair. With a frustrated cry, she stormed over to her bureau to grab a pair of scissors. She looked to the three new dresses that were laid out on top of a trunk. She attacked those first, shredding them until they were mere scraps of fabric. Next the blade went to her hair, cutting it right below her ears. For one blessed minute, the overwhelming heaviness fell from her shoulders. Then, inevitably, the locks began to grow again, tickling the back of her neck and growing heavier by the second. Her green eyes cast to the dresses and saw that they were also untouched.

A sob choked her throat, the overwhelming hopelessness threatening to make her do something far more drastic. At the tender age of fifteen, her body was a wreck of hormones, changing in ways that made her feel sick and _alien._ She knew in her heart that something wasn't right, besides the fact that her father was keeping her captive in this tower all alone. Trying to raise her into the very image of her mother. It was enough sometimes that she thought about taking the scissors to her own wrists, but she always lost her nerve. Part of her was terrified of finding out if she was just like those dresses and her hair.

With a month of solitude to look forward to, she forced herself to dry her eyes and head up the winding stairs to her bedroom at the very top of the tower. Her father would prefer that she not sleep so close to the tower's arched observation windows, but he couldn't control _everything._ The tower touched the very height of the clouds, while the forest valley spread out before her like a green carpet from her dizzying height. The cool air gusted into her room as she collapsed into bed, sick and fatigued.

That was when she noticed something on her bedstand. A small black box. Her brow knit into a frown. Did her father leave that? No, he would have surely said something. He liked to throw his generosity in her face. Sliding out of bed, the blonde cautiously went to her windowsill. The box fit into the palm of her hand. Worrying her lower lip, she popped open the lid. Inside, a black ring gleamed with a green cat's paw.

Well, it definitely wasn't from her father. It wasn't nearly feminine enough. Perhaps it was a gift from one of those fairies that she read about. Maybe it was cursed. Honestly, at this point she didn't care. This was something different, something _new._ Something that was not her cold and lonely life. Throwing caution to the wind, she slipped the ring over her finger.

That was when everything _changed._

~o~

An owl hooted in the silent night. A young teenaged girl with bluebell eyes and raven-blue hair eyed the dark woods around her warily. The tree limbs wrapped around the lonely path in an impenetrable canvas that blotted out the sky. She wrapped her bright red cloak more tightly about her shoulders, clutching her basket of pastries against her. Against her hip, an innocuous red and black spotted ball hung, comforting her with its weight. She reminded herself to look as vulnerable as possible and what was more vulnerable than a hapless girl carrying pastries through the forest? All the better to draw out a certain black-clad bandit.

Today Chat Noir was going to meet his match. Marinette aka Ladybug, huntress extraordinaire, was on his trail. She'd been offered a dizzying amount of money to track down and capture the bandit by a mysterious benefactor by the name of Hawkmoth. Hunting down humans wasn't normally her style, but she supposed that she could downgrade from dire wolves to cats just this once. She'd heard reports from the local inn that the bandit was making himself known on the outskirts of town. All she needed to do was catch him when his guard was down and take him alive.

Even so, it didn't make her stop wishing she'd had more than her magical yo-yo on her. Like a dagger or an _axe._

Something clopped from behind her. Marinette whirled around, her hand palming her yo-yo. It was a _stupid_ move, as a root coiled up in front of her toes and caught her. With an undignified yelp, she fell forward onto her face, twisting her ankle brutally. The pastries scattered everywhere all over the road.

"Woah! You okay?" someone called from the source of the clops. Marinette looked up to see a boy about her age sitting astride a white horse. Her cheeks blossomed into a bright blush as she took in his handsome features, gorgeous green eyes, and angelic blond hair tied back into a short ponytail. Her own reaction confused her. She wasn't the type to gush over _boys._ She was a _huntress._ She didn't have time for such frivolousness!

That didn't stop her cheeks from growing hotter as the boy dropped down from his horse to check on her. He hissed as he looked to her purpling ankle. "Ooh, that looks bad," he said, his mouth twisting with sympathy.

"N-no, it's okay," Marinette said quickly, trying to push herself up to her feet. "I-I guess I'm just clumsy that's a- _OW!"_ Her ankle failed her, forcing the boy to catch her in his arms. If she was blushing before, now her entire head threatened to overheat.

"Gotcha, gotcha," the blond boy grinned, holding her steady. "Yeah, I'm thinking you're not going to be able to walk on that. Luckily~ I have a horse." His green eyes were bright and amiable as he spoke, a naive and unjaded air about him. It was as refreshing as a spring breeze. Marinette let out a small _meep_ as she was picked up into his arms in bridal fashion. The boy was much stronger than his slight figure suggested. He gently helped her up onto his horse, then gathered up her pastries and placed the basket onto her lap. Smiling broadly up at her, he asked, "Alright princess, where were you heading?"

 _Princess?_

"I'm not-" Marinette blushed, "m-my grandmother, but-" Well, there was the problem that the grandmother didn't actually exist. She was usually quicker on her feet than this. If she was on her own, she'd just heal herself and continue on her mission, but now this boy had her flustered in all kinds of ways. "Really you don't have to do this for me. I'll be fine."

"Nonsense, I always wanted to rescue a princess," the boy replied. "Maybe I can take you back to town. That's where you came from, right? You really shouldn't be wandering around in the dark. There's wolves around here."

Marinette sighed. She really wasn't very good at this damsel in distress thing. It was a good thing he was cute. "Well, it's too dark to be traveling anywhere anyway. We should make camp." Perhaps there was still a chance that Chat Noir would attack two helpless travelers instead of one.

"Camp?" the blond echoed in innocent confusion. Then he broke into a smile. "Oh! I've never done that before either! That sounds fun!"

Fun? How was sleeping on the cold hard ground out in the middle of the woods where you had to sleep with one eye open remotely fun? Marinette looked the boy over and noted his distinct lack of... preparedness. Just a rapier, a small sack and a rather heavy looking money pouch. Along with the white horse and fine clothes. Rich, over privileged boy, she had him pegged. Normally, they annoyed the hell out of her, but this boy was entirely too sweet and not at all obnoxious. Also, this boded well for her. This kind of boy would be Chat Noir's favorite type of target.

"Well, I make it a point not to sleep with complete strangers," Marinette said, giving him a smile. "I'm Marinette, and you are...?"

The boy blinked. "Oh, me? I'm... Adrien," he replied hesitantly. "It's very nice to meet you, Marinette!"

Despite herself, she blushed _again_. "It's nice to meet you too," she replied, surprised by her own sincerity. Guh, he was just too cute. A little clueless, but cute. It was just unnerving how he could make her all flustered with just a look. "I think I saw a stream a little ways off the path. We can camp there."

Adrien (if that was his name) nodded eagerly, leading the horse towards the spot she'd already designated as her camp previously. Marinette walked him through the basics of making camp, checking the perimeter to make sure there weren't signs of predators, gathering wood, and building a fire. Adrien to his credit was a good student, happy to do the heavy lifting and quick to learn. They shared the pastries, which were a little dirty but still edible. "These are so good!" he declared, which brought an embarrassed smile to Marinette's face.

Then there came the matter of sleeping. "I'll take first watch," Marinette said. Once the boy was out, she'd finally be able to heal herself without an audience. She didn't care at all for being immobile. Plus her ankle was really beginning to swell painfully.

"Oh no, don't be silly! You need to rest," Adrien declared, being a pain in the sweetest way imaginable. "I don't need that much sleep. You go on ahead."

"No, I insist."

"No, _I_ insist."

"You've been traveling all day."

"I've been on a horse. You were on foot."

"Yeah, well, I'm a girl."

At that, Adrien spluttered, losing focus. "The- that- what does _that_ have to do with anything?"

"Well, because you're a strange boy. I'd be much more comfortable if I was the one awake first," Marinette insisted. The obvious flaw was that she would be asleep on his watch, if she planned on sleeping.

Adrien only gave her an incredulous look. However, he finally gave it up, unable to find a way to argue past it. "Alright, you win," he sighed as he sat by the fire. "You promise you'll wake me if you get tired?"

"Promise," the huntress replied.

Still looking particularly dissatisfied, Adrien curled up in his heavy traveling cloak and allowed himself to close his eyes. In almost no time, his breathing evened as he fell asleep. Clearly, he was far more tired than he let on. If he really was wandering through the woods without camping, then it was no wonder.

Just to be safe, Marinette waited a little longer. Then she summoned the magic from her two earrings that her fairy godmother gifted her when she was just a child. Putting her hands on either side of her ankle, the warm healing light spread from her fingertips to wrap around her injury. At once, the pain began to ease and the swelling went down. Fully healed, she stretched her leg out in front of her and gave her ankle an experimental roll. Good as new.

Checking Adrien again, it seemed that he was still fast asleep. Good. As quietly as she could, she flung her yo-yo up to one of the tallest trees and pulled herself up onto a sturdy branch. From here she had a good view of her charge and anyone who dared to approach him, able to literally get the drop on them. She did feel a little guilty using this boy as bait but...

Marinette quickly shook the thought away. No, she wouldn't let anything happen to him. She was a huntress. Chat Noir would be already bound and captured before he could lay a finger on Adrien's head. All she had to do was wait...

~o~

By the time morning came, all Marinette had to show for her efforts was a bad case of wood burn. At once the doubt began to settle in. She thought for sure that all signs of the bandit pointed to this particular stretch of wood. Had her sources been wrong? Then again, some of them had been quite drunk while she was interrogating them. She let out a sigh as she watched dawn peek and send shafts of light down into the underbrush.

Below, Adrien began to stir into awakening. He yawned and stretched, before he suddenly jolted awake. Probably because he realized that it was already morning. Whirling around, he looked for her, never thinking to look up. Adrien probably thought that she took off on him in the middle of the night. If he wasn't completely naive, he'd check his pockets to make sure nothing was stolen. He didn't. Instead, he pulled off one of his gloves to check that his jewelry was still there. Not that she could see it that well from above. Not a complete fool then.

 _Don't worry, Adrien. I'm not interested in your stuff,_ Marinette thought in amusement. She wasn't a thief, unlike a certain someone she was tracking down. Still, if he didn't notice her this was a good opportunity to ditch him and she could continue on with her hunt. However, her gut twisted with guilt when he stood and began to call her name. He just sounded so concerned and... _hurt._ She couldn't just _leave_ him. Plus he was so naive, he was probably going to get jumped before he got to wherever he was headed.

Groaning, Marinette rappelled down the tree, trying to tell herself she wasn't just doing this because he was _cute._ "Morning," she called to the blond, catching his attention.

Adrien whirled around. At the sight of her, his whole expression lit up in a way that made Marinette's heart pitter-patter treacherously. "Marinette! There you are!" he cried, coming up to wrap the huntress up in a hug that made her whole face explode in a blush. "I was worried! I thought something may have taken you because of your- Hey! You're walking!"

"Y-yup! It got better," Marinette replied, trying to fight down her blush.

"Oh... t-that's great!" Adrien said, his smile strained as it fought between delight and disappointment. "I guess you really didn't need me after all. So... I guess you're going to head off to your grandmother, huh?"

"Er... _about that,"_ the huntress said awkwardly. "I wasn't actually going to my grandmother. I'm sorry I lied about that. I was actually trying to track someone down."

The blond blinked. "...And give them delicious pastries?"

"Ummm, more like surprise and capture them," Marinette replied, giving Adrien a smile. "He's a bad guy though, I promise. You might've heard of him. Chat Noir? He's that highwayman that's been robbing travelers recently."

Adrien's eyebrows rose. "Oh! U-uh, yes! I have heard of him! He's totally _looong_ gone though. I heard he was in uh- what was that place? The one with the spindly towers?" Marinette couldn't even _begin_ to guess what he was talking about, when he suddenly brightened. "Wait a minute, does that mean you're some kind of bounty hunter?"

"More like normal huntress..." Marinette frowned, "Although I'm pretty good at it. They call me Ladybug-"

At this Adrien's whole demeanor changed. "YOU!" he squealed, looking like he was about to faint from excitement. "You're Ladybug?! The Red Lady? Lady du Chase, Lady de Chance? You're her?! You're my hero! I've read all the stories about you!"

For her part, Marinette could not have been more embarrassed. His admiration was almost overwhelming. "Wh-whaaat- Pssh, _those_ things?" she said, remembering the silly penny-novels that had spread around the kingdom starting when she was thirteen. "They exaggerate waaay too much."

However, Adrien wasn't listening as he was, for lack of a better word, fangirling. "I can't believe I met Ladybug! Talked to Ladybug! Touched Ladybug! _Gasp,_ I _carried_ her!" That last fact seemed to stick with him the most as his entire face overheated with a bright blush, as he finally looked back to Marinette. "Odsbodkin, I'm so sorry about that. You probably thought I was so impertinent."

"N-no, no, no!" Marinette assured him quickly, her own face bright red. "It's okay. It was actually kind of sweet." This brought a pleased grin to Adrien's face, that similarly seemed to inspire one on hers. After a moment of shared smiles and warm flutterings in her stomach, the huntress coughed awkwardly, "S-so, you're looking for someone too, I take it?"

"Oh! Right!" Adrien said, suddenly recalling what had incited the conversation. "Yes, I was trying to figure out what happened to my mother. My father never told me what happened to her, so I wanted to find her for myself."

"And asking your dad isn't an option...?" Marinette asked uncertainly.

At once, Adrien's warm expression shut down, replaced by a wall of ice. "Absolutely not."

 _Ooookay then. Daddy issues. Note to self, don't mention his father,_ the huntress thought. Deciding to stay away from _that_ topic, she addressed the issue at hand, "Well, I'm sorry to hear about that, but I'm already kind of on a job and I don't really usually hunt _people_ besides..."

"I can pay you," the blond replied, taking his whole coin purse and holding it out. It looked ridiculously, temptingly heavy. "A gold piece a day, until I run out. I don't even need a guarantee that we'll find her. I just need help. I-I'm not really all that worldly, to be honest," he admitted, his cheeks effusing with a blush.

Marinette couldn't disagree with that, even from their very brief interaction. Her eyes flicked to the weighty coin purse. A gold a _day?_ Just for helping him out? She worried her lower lip, the temptation strong. Not to mention, he really did seem like he needed lessons in just surviving in the outside world. It would be a _crime_ to leave him on his own now. Besides, who said she couldn't conduct two hunts at once?

"I... alright," she agreed with a resigned sigh. "You got yourself a deal." She tried to tell herself she wasn't doing this because Adrien was _cute,_ even as she blushed at the way his handsome face beamed with joy.

~o~

With their deal made, Marinette unburied her weapons and equipment, and the pair of them took to the road in search of Adrien's mother. She had been gone for as long as Adrien could remember, her current status unknown. All they really had to go on was that she was stunningly beautiful, blonde, had green eyes, and her name was Eglantine. If she were alive, logic said she should be in her late 30s. It wasn't a lot to go on, Marinette had warned, but she didn't let him be discouraged. Instead, they made a plan to head to the nearest city to begin gathering information.

Adrien could not believe his luck. Here he was, on the road to find his mother, and his guide was none other than _Ladybug_ herself. He _still_ couldn't believe that he'd not recognized Marinette as Ladybug on sight. The red hood was a dead giveaway for one. She also fit the description perfectly, from her blue eyes (described as steel blue, but they were more like bluebell), to her raven-blue hair, and her fierce and stunning beauty.

Now that Marinette was decked in her hunting gear, bow, sword, dagger, and travelers' pack, she hardly resembled the meek, clumsy girl he'd bumped into in the forest. Instead, she looked more like an efficient killing machine in a petite package, which was... _confusing._ In a good way. Not to mention, Marinette was so much _younger_ than he expected. In fact, he hazarded that she must be _his_ age, which inspired _other_ confusing feelings in him. As best as he could guess, he'd admired Ladybug for so long that knowing that they had anything in common was flustering.

Age was pretty much where the similarities ended. Marinette constantly displayed her legendary prowess, on the hunt and off. She had a keen sense of observation, to the point it was a little intimidating, noticing things that Adrien simply glazed over. (One reason why he now wore gloves ceaselessly.)

While she couldn't teach _that,_ she did gift him with the vast well of her experience. Adrien soaked every tidbit up like a sponge, from how to fish, how to set a trap, what plants were safe to eat, how to find your way out of a forest, how to barter hides. She also regaled him with tales and gossip from around the kingdom, telling him of seedy stories that would never be found in any book. (And he read many.) That alone was worth the hefty fee of a gold piece a day.

However, Marinette began to earn her keep in other ways when they reached their first city. Adrien was slightly overwhelmed just by the amount of people that filled the streets. The smell wasn't exactly pleasant either. He was spared some as Marinette led his horse through the crowd and towards the closest inn. There he watched as she went through the process of bartering for a room and stable, forking over some coins only when she worked the innkeeper down. Apparently, his rich clothes made him something of a target for the greedy mercantile. He might have done things _slightly_ differently if he'd known at the time.

"Okay, the best place to look for records is in the Church. You can do that," Marinette said when they were safely stowed away in their room for the night. "I'll check with the wisewomen to see if they recall any Eglantine in town. We can reconverge here when the late crowd gets in and see if they heard anything about your mother."

And Chat Noir, no doubt. Adrien was fairly sure that she was still on the hunt for him, which was a rather hair-raising thought. Nonetheless, he nodded, steeling himself for his simple task. He knew what Churches looked like at least. The steeply weird buildings with the bells.

"Oh, give me your purse," Marinette added, holding out a hand.

That took Adrien aback. "What?"

"There's pickpockets everywhere," the huntress replied sternly. Then she gave him a sly smile that sent a tremble down his spine. "You want to keep me around longer, don't you?"

A graceless blush heated Adrien's cheeks, the confusing feelings given rise again. Swallowing, he quickly handed the heavy coin purse over. Which was when Marinette smacked him on the forehead. "Don't just give your purse to anyone who asks!" she tsked as she put the purse away in the satchel hidden beneath her crimson cloak. "Honestly, you're lucky you bumped into me first. You'd be destitute and helpless within a day."

While that wasn't strictly true, Adrien did agree on one point. "Yes, Milady. I'm really lucky," he smiled, watching as Marinette heated up in a bright blush at the nickname.

"D-don't call me that~!" she huffed, her ears burning with embarrassment. "Just get going, will you?"

"Yes, Milady~" Adrien teased, hurrying out of the room while Ladybug spluttered. The dining hall was quiet as he headed out, although the innkeeper did give him a rather dark look as he passed by. Probably thinking that she could have fished more money out of him.

Outside, the blond was once again bombarded with the sheer amount of people and had to take a moment just to get adjusted. Once he did though, it was difficult not to become horribly _tempted._ The Cat likes shiny things and he could almost smell the gold, copper, and silver that exchanged hands as frequently as breathing. That had been his very first brutal lesson in the real world. One simply couldn't survive without gold. Opportunities abounded and he could more than make up for the coins that Marinette was holding onto for him. Odsbodkin, he could probably find enough gold to keep her around _forever._

However, Ladybug was looking for Chat Noir. He wasn't about to risk being caught when he still had plenty of money left. Assuming he could trust Marinette with it. Ignoring temptation, Adrien made his way through the streets, eyeing the purses and moneyboxes left so carelessly exposed. And Marinette thought _he_ was the one who would get pickpocketed. He couldn't help but smile at the irony of it as he neared the Church.

The stone building was nearly empty as he entered, making his steps echo ominously as he walked underneath the vaulted ceiling. It reminded him eerily of his tower, unnerving him to say the least. He hurried to find the black and white clad priest, gaining access to the birth, death, and baptism records of the entire parish with a handy donation to the Church's coffers. (Okay, it was _one_ purse. He couldn't help himself. He had to _eat,_ didn't he?)

Unfortunately, hours of fruitless search turned up nothing. It was frustrating to say the least, but he remembered Marinette's advice not to get discouraged. He just hoped that she had more luck than he did.

...Well, she _better._ People didn't call her Lady Luck for nothing.

Thanking the priest for his time, Adrien headed back out into the city. Palming an apple from a fruit stand, he took his time simply becoming oriented to his surroundings. He reveled in the sheer freedom of being able to go where he wanted, talking to whomever he wanted, learning and growing as he never had. It felt _right_ to him. For once in his life, _everything_ felt right.

A flap of red flashed in the corner of his eye. He turned and found Ladybug talking to a couple their age. Though it was much earlier than they were meant to meet, he went to her immediately. "Marinette!" he called, waving as he came over, catching the attention of all three.

"Speak of the devil," the fiery haired girl said, while Marinette blinked in surprise.

"I thought you were going through the Church records," she frowned.

"Yeah, I'm done," Adrien replied simply.

Marinette gaped at him. "Already?!"

The blond only shrugged. "I read fast." His attention turned to her new companions. Both were bespectacled teens of darker skin, the girl had quite the attitude to match her hair, while the dark haired boy carried a lute and a surly expression. "Who are they?"

"Oh, sorry. These are my friends," Marinette said, gesturing to the two. "They travel around like I do. We bumped into each just by chance." How _lucky,_ Adrien thought wryly. "Alya is a writer and Nino is a bard. Alya, Nino, this is Adrien."

" _Very_ nice to meet you," Alya said, giving him a sly smile that made him think he was missing something. "Marinette didn't mention that you were a hottie. I wonder why~?"

"Alya!" Ladybug hissed at him, while Nino's eyes only darkened.

"Alya...? Alya Cesaire!" Adrien cried, recognizing the name. "You're the one that wrote all the Ladybug novels! I love those! I've read every single one I could get my hands on!"

"Aw shucks, you're sweet," the writer smiled. "Of course, the actual credit goes to Marinette for telling me about her adventures. I just write it all down." She turned to the red-hooded girl. "Speaking of, you owe me several more stories now for that tidbit about Chat Noir." Adrien went still, though no one seemed to notice.

"I know, I know," Marinette replied, putting her hands together in appeasement. "Actually, I, well _we_ need some more information out of you. About a woman named Eglantine...?"

"Nuh-uh, payment first, Mari," Alya insisted, taking the huntress by the arm. "Let's talk up in my room. I have all my ink and paper there."

"Can I come?" Adrien asked, eager to hear some more stories himself.

"Are you in the habit of casually inviting yourself into girls' rooms?" Nino asked curtly, speaking up for the first time.

"Umm..." the blond murmured, beginning to sweat.

"Nino, don't be rude," Alya huffed. "But sorry, Adrien, this is girl talk only," she added, giving the blond a wink. "Why don't you and Nino go off and hang out. Have your own boy talk or something." With that, she dragged the huntress off to interrogate her.

Adrien only began to sweat more. _Boy_ talk? He eyed Nino, his tongue caught in his throat. What on earth did _boy_ talk entail? Dread trickled down his spine, a very real fear of getting _caught_ causing a wave of awkward discomfort that set him on high alert.

"You're not doing anything _funny_ to Marinette are you?" Nino asked, his eyes narrowing as he regarded the blond.

"F-funny?" Adrien echoed, wide eyed. "Um, well, I tease her? Sometimes she laughs."

"Don't act dumb. I know you know what I'm talking about."

No. No, he really, _really_ didn't know what Nino was talking about. The discomfort only grew. It was as if Nino could _sense_ he was hiding something, sniffing it out like hound. "You didn't make a pass at her, did you?"

A _what_ now?

Adrien surmised that this was probably a bad thing, so he quickly shook his head. "N-no! I wouldn't do... _that."_ Whatever it was. "I promise, I have nothing but boundless respect and admiration for her. Her stories really helped me get through a... a tough part of my life."

The bard frowned still, but the darkness seemed to ease at the utter sincerity in Adrien's voice. "Well... alright then. As long as it stays that way. Marinette is a very dear friend and she's not experienced with boys at all." Well, that made two of them, Adrien thought. Even so, he could feel a little bit of the pressure ease up on. "So you really don't like her at all, huh?"

"Like? Of course, I like her," Adrien insisted. "She's Ladybug and she's amazing."

"Yeeeah, but not like, _like-like,_ right?"

Once again, the blond was lost. How was repeating the same word three times supposed to make sense? "Errr..."

"Wow, Mari said you were probably sheltered, but I don't think she knew the half of it," Nino said, raising an eyebrow. Adrien supposed that was a nice way of putting it. "You never had a girlfriend before?"

"G-girlfriend?!" the blond spluttered. Was _that_ what they were talking about?! The very thought sent his heart racing, a blush bleeding up to his cheeks in sheer embarrassment. "N-n-no! I never-! How could I-!"

Nino blinked as the blond very nearly had a meltdown. Then his lips twisted into a smile, before he let out a boisterous laugh. "Odsbodkin, your _face!"_ he cackled, pointing a finger toward Adrien's nose. "Wow, you're just as naive as she said!" Heartily slapping Adrien on the back, he grinned, "Okay, you're alright then. Although, I have _quite_ a few things to teach you." That was when the smile turned almost devious. "Which is why, you and I and the friends I'm meeting are going to take you out and give you a crash course in everything you need to know. Stuff Marinette can't teach you. You got me?"

Adrien was highly dubious about _all_ of this, but he couldn't very well say no. "Um... sure...?" he said uncertainly.

"You say that like you have a choice, dude," Nino grinned wickedly, wrapping an arm around the blond's shoulders. A sharp shock of panic went through Adrien as his hand brushed over his ponytail with the motion, but it was otherwise left alone. He scarcely noticed that Nino was leading them down the street to a much seedier part of town. "C'mon, the girls will be distracted for hours. Let's go meet Theo and Kim now."

~o~

When Adrien returned to his inn that night, his face was haggard with the trauma inflicted upon him in the past few hours. There were just _so many_ things that he never, _ever_ wanted to know that were unceremoniously crammed into him in such a short span of time. Triumphant from her own task, Marinette turned a smile up to him from one of the inn tables, before she blinked in startlement at his expression. "Adrien, are you okay?"

"My brain really hurts," the blond groaned, sitting down beside her and letting his head thump on top of the wooden table.

"What happened?" Marinette frowned, patting him gently on the shoulder.

"Kim and Theo happened."

"Ah," the huntress said simply, as if that explained everything. It probably did. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Had I known, I would've let you just come with Alya and I," she murmured sympathetically.

Making some effort at looking less pathetic, Adrien pushed himself up to look at her. "N-no, I'm fine it was just..." he gestured vaguely with a hand, "...educational." The first lesson being that he was never going to hang out with Theo again, if he could ever help it. Being the oldest, he just riled the other two boys up to no end, talking with a lot more bluster and bravado than Adrien actually believed.

The second lesson was that if he was going to hang out with a gang of boys, his _own_ preference for girls was going to come up. He'd been grilled nonstop on what female body parts he liked the best, to the extent that he almost thought he was hanging out with serial killers. Apparently, he wasn't wired correctly, because the first thing that came to mind were _eyes_ and that just made them laugh at his naivety even more.

Third, Nino was a hypocrite if he was worried about Marinette's virtue one minute and then demeaning women as a whole in the next. It was enough to set his teeth on edge, his expression darkening as he thought about it.

"That's not a nice look on your face," Marinette said in bemusement as she waved the innkeep over to get Adrien some dinner.

Glancing at the huntress, the blond suddenly asked, "Marinette, you've never had a boyfriend, have you?"

A bright blush bloomed over Marinette's face at the question. "Wha- m-me?! N-no, I never- Why do you ask?" she stammered, somehow looking uncomfortable and interested all at once.

"Good," Adrien replied curtly, his nose wrinkling in distaste. "Boys are _pigs."_

Marinette blinked, before she let out a burst of laughter. She patted the blond on the shoulder. "Well, lucky you then! You're not going to have that problem!"

That stopped Adrien short. Not his problem? Well... that was correct actually, now that he thought about it. Of course, he never gave much thought to romance before. At least in terms of himself. (Odsbodkin, he was desperate just to have _anyone_ for company.) In between the history, music, and language tomes, his father also gave him an obscene amount of books with female protagonists, probably hoping to awaken his feminine sensibilities. Which was how all the Ladybug books managed to slip under his radar. They were fun reads, but he could never relate to the girls at all, save for Ladybug. So he didn't think much of having a boyfriend. But he didn't think about _not_ having a boyfriend either... which was apparently now an option.

Which meant...

His gaze flicked involuntarily to Ladybug. To those enchanting bluebell eyes. His cheeks heated up in a bright blush, only causing Marinette to laugh again. "Adrien, you really do make the funniest expressions," she teased as the stew and cider was set in front of him. "Anyway, eat up. I have some good news. I think I know where your mother might be."

That ceased all frivolous thoughts of romance instantly. "Really, where?!" Adrien demanded, rising an inch from his seat. "Is she alive?!"

"I'm not sure," Marinette admitted, pushing the blond back down onto his stool. "Now eat and listen. Alya heard this story about a beautiful girl who was blessed with six fairy godmothers at birth. However, she was cursed by a jealous seventh fairy at sixteen to sleep until she receives true love's kiss. She was placed in the deepest, darkest, most dangerous wood by her father to keep her safe as she slept."

Adrien only frowned at this. "So... why do you think she's my mother?"

"Her name is Eglantine and she is reputed to have blonde hair and green eyes."

The blond's eyes widened, his food absolutely forgotten. Her. It _was_ her. She would have all the answers he'd been looking for. He would _finally_ know the truth. "S-so, where is now?" he demanded.

At this, Marinette looked uncomfortable. "By all accounts, she's still cursed. She still hasn't received true love's kiss."

Adrien stared, a cold feeling of horror creeping down his shoulders. "...Then how would I have been born?" he asked quietly, even though every part of him knew he didn't want to know the answer.

"I..." the huntress worried her lower lip, barely able to look him in the eye. "...I think... she was still asleep when you were conceived."


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien was devastatingly quiet as the pair of them headed out of the city in the early dawn hours. The blond had hardly spoken a word since she'd leveled him with the theory she had. She almost wished she hadn't said anything. However, she knew it was better to come from her than to find out for himself later. Marinette just desperately wished that she was wrong. She couldn't even imagine what turmoil her companion was facing at the implication that his father might also be... A cold shudder ran through her.

"Are you alright?" Adrien asked softly in front of her. In their rather intimate position of sharing a horse, he must have felt her chill. She couldn't see his expression with her arms wrapped around his waist, cheek against his shoulder.

"I'm okay," Marinette assured him. "...Are you?"

"Not really," the blond answered truthfully, sounding more fatigued than anything. The huntress didn't blame him one bit. They descended back into an awkward silence. She just wished there was something she could do to help him, besides what she was already hired to do. She had come to care for him more than she wanted to admit, in such a terrifyingly short span of time as well. Not once had she regretted postponing her hunt of Chat Noir to help this boy.

However, Marinette had other things to worry about. Their destination was the Black Wood. One of the most dangerous places on the face of the earth. There everything was lethal, hosting flora and fauna that were bred to deadly proportions. As a huntress, she'd entered the perimeter once before and barely got away with her life. She'd heard of none other as lucky. The very idea that Adrien could have been born in such a place was mind boggling. As was the knowledge that his father must have entered its depths at least twice.

It had been two years since she last entered. She was faster, better, stronger than before and far more prepared. Only this time she had drag on her. Drag she needed to keep safe. She was going to have to rectify this as soon as possible.

That evening at camp, Marinette decided to kill two birds with one stone. "So, do you know how to use that rapier?" she asked, nodding to the sword at her charge's hip.

It was the most they'd spoken all day, so Adrien looked startled at the question. The blond glanced to his weapon, his brow knitting into a frown. "Why?" he asked slowly.

"Because the place we're going is very dangerous," Marinette replied. "I want to make sure that you can handle yourself." She pushed herself to her feet, taking the longsword from her pack. "Spar with me a little."

Adrien looked intensely uncomfortable at this prospect. "I... don't think that's a very good idea."

"Oh come on, please?" she asked, cocking her head. A grin spread across her lips. "I promise I'll take it easy on you."

Reluctantly, the blond pushed himself up to his feet. Drawing his silver rapier, he brought himself into a perfect defensive stance. His form was impeccable, which impressed her enough to take this seriously. Marinette took an experimental swipe at him, which was parried instantly. She tried again, taking several slices into the air against him. Adrien parried each one and countered, forcing her on the defensive.

This time, Marinette put her all into it, strangely thrilled as the blond met her blow for blow. In fact, as the fight, since it couldn't be called a spar anymore, went on she felt as though he were beginning to overpower her. Her thrusts were getting sloppy from the sheer effort, while his remained strong and constant. She felt herself being cornered back against the treeline. She'd never encountered this before. Then again, if she were this evenly matched, she would never meet her opponent head on. After all, she hunted. She didn't battle. Not like this.

The long sword was suddenly struck from her hand, sent hurtling away into the dirt. She was shoved up against a tree trunk, the blade of the silver rapier grazing the underside of her chin. The huntress sucked in a sharp breath, looking past the blade up to Adrien's sharp green eyes. They suddenly looked like they didn't belong to him. Instead they looked like they came from a tiger or a panther.

"Well..." Marinette spoke, her breath coming out in harsh breaths, "I guess I don't have anything to be worried about." Her whole body was warm from the proximity of him, shivers running up her spine almost pleasantly. If there weren't a bloody sword in the way, she was close enough to...

At once, Adrien put down his sword, his face full of apology. "Ah, Milady, I'm sorry!" he said quickly, stepping away from her. She was both relieved and disappointed. "I got carried away. This is why I didn't want to fight you."

Suddenly, Marinette felt a sharp stab of irritation. She was Ladybug for goodness' sake. It should have been the _other_ way around. "Why? Did you think I couldn't handle myself?"

"N-no, of course not!" Adrien spluttered, his cheeks reddening.

The huntress' eyes narrowed. "Oh? So it's because you didn't want to fight a girl?"

"NO!" the blond cried, even more adamant than ever. He looked down to his feet, holding the rapier stiffly at his side. His next words were so soft, they were nearly inaudible. "It's just not a fair fight, that's all."

Something about his words resonated in her. Marinette's eyes fixed on the rapier and she suddenly wondered if he would be nearly as good with a different sword. Just as she knew that she wouldn't be able to climb dizzying cliffs or tie beasts up in inescapable knots with just a regular yo-yo. Her eyes flicked up to meet his. "That's a very fine gift from your fairy godmother."

Adrien started as if struck, confirming her thoughts. She didn't blame him for his alarm. Fairy-blessed were precious few and targeted for it. Moreover, fairies gave gifts in sets of threes. Her earrings, her yo-yo, her cloak. His rapier and she suspected a ring. What else? She was curious, but she didn't need to pry. She wasn't interested in his things. Still, now she was liking their chances of getting through the Black Wood a lot better. "It's okay," she assured him gently, watching him as his panic worsened. "I won't tell anyone."

"Th-thank you," the blond whispered, his cheeks crimson as his shoulders sagged with relief. Even so, he still looked so alone and in so much pain. The fight had done nothing to take his mind off things. She wanted desperately to make him feel better.

Suddenly, she stepped forward and pulled Adrien up into a hug. Pressing in tight against his chest, she murmured softly, "If you want... If you have nowhere to go after this, you can stay with me." It went against her code to always travel alone. Yet for some reason, Marinette thought she could make an exception for him.

"Milady..." Adrien breathed, his voice full of awe and kindling hope. His arms slowly wrapped around her shoulders, tugging her even tighter against him. His fingers trembled against her skin, as though he were becoming overwhelmed. She could feel his heart thundering against his rib cage, rattling like a bird trying to get free.

Marinette was only a little surprised when Adrien cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her. She let out a small noise of shock from the back of her throat, but she didn't hate it. No, judging from the way her whole body heated at the chaste kiss, she liked it very much.

When he pulled back, however, the blond only looked at her in horror. "Odsbodkin!" he cursed, jumping back from her. "I-I-I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into me!" he cried, his voice pitched with panic as his entire face grew bright red. "I should have asked- I can't believe I was so- Pl-please don't leave me!"

The huntress looked the boy over as he very nearly threatened to implode. Her lips spread into a smile and she laughed. This boy really was so cute and naive. "Adrien, it's okay," she assured him warmly, capturing his hands in hers to give them a squeeze. "I didn't mind it."

"You... you didn't?" the blond asked uncertainly. When Marinette shook her head, the blush on his face only seemed to grow worse. "Oh..." he breathed, clearly at a loss what to make of this.

Smiling shyly, the huntress pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips that very nearly felled him. She felt light and giddy, her heart opened up in ways that she had never expected. What had this boy done to her? "We can go slow," she assured him. For his benefit and for hers. "We don't have to do anything right away. Just what feels right. Okay?"

"Slow..." Adrien echoed. A timid smile curling at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, I'd like that. Slow." The pair of them shared a smile, delighting in and nurturing the tiny, fragile _something_ that grew between them.

"We should probably get some sleep," Marinette decided. "It's going to be a long day tomorrow. I'll take first watch."

"Oh, no, no, no. _I'm_ taking first watch," Adrien grinned, growing bolder as the conversation became more familiar. "I insist."

"No, _I_ insist," the huntress replied, her smile turning sly.

"You've been traveling all day."

"We've been on the same horse all day."

"I believe that you need to recover from the wicked burn of my victory."

"Oh you did _not_ just go there."

Laughing at Marinette's indignation, Adrien's green eyes glowed as he bowed and took her hand in his. He pressed a chaste kiss to her knuckles that nearly set the huntress' cheeks aflame. "Milady, honestly?" the blond spoke warmly, "I'm too happy to sleep. I'll be wide awake for hours, whether you take first watch or not. So you might as well take advantage."

Really, what could she say to that? Nothing, besides: "Okay, fine. You win. _This_ time."

At this, Adrien gasped. "Milady deigns to sleep in my presence! Oh blessed am I! I will treasure this precious moment forever and ever! I'll tell my grandchildren about it and they'll tell their grandchildren and theirs!"

"Oh shut up!" Marinette hushed him, mortified. "You are so, _so_ lucky you're cute. I hope you know that." Turning her back to his smug, beaming face, she settled down on her bedroll determined to ignore him. However, her lips curled into a smile even as sleep took her.

~o~

The days passed far more quickly on their journey in light of their newly budding feelings. All thoughts of his father and what he must have done were pushed to the back of Adrien's mind. Instead, it was all Adrien could do not to be overwhelmed now that his confusing feelings were given a name: Love. He was in love with Marinette. What truly astounded him wasn't even the fact that he was apparently in love with a girl, but that the girl was _Ladybug._ Even more amazing was that she actually reciprocated. Ladybug liked _him._

The only thing that dampened his happiness was the guilt gnawing at the pit of his stomach. He was keeping secrets from her. Two rather crucial ones at least. In his weaker moments, he debated whether or not to tell her. Whether or not it really mattered. He already resolved to not become Chat Noir anymore, so that was less of an issue. The other one... That life he wanted nothing more than to shove into a cold and tiny box in the back of his mind and never think on it again. If it weren't for Marinette, he would have readily done so without a care in the world.

 _Later. I'll tell her later,_ he told himself constantly as they neared the Black Wood. What he needed, _they_ needed, was a chance. A chance for Marinette to get to know who he really was, before bombarding her with pesky details.

In any case, thoughts of their springtime romance waned as they neared the Black Wood. Even a day out, Adrien could see the ominous aura on the horizon, the ground below the horse's hoofs growing barren and dusty. His horse nickered, growing more and more agitated and nervous as the skeletal black trees reached up into the sky. When it bucked them off, they finally had to simply let it go. It would be safer on foot anyway, Marinette told him. He didn't like the haunted look in her eyes as she said it.

They approached on foot the rest of the way, watching as shuddering black thorny brambles encroached out of the tree line. Marinette hacked at them with an axe, clearing a path for them. "Don't let them cut you," she warned him softly, keeping her red cloak wrapped tightly around herself. Adrien didn't, even though the brambles seemed to subtly shift behind them, catching onto his cloak like they were trying to draw him into their embrace. He kept a hand wrapped tightly around the black ribbon keeping his ponytail together, terrified a stray bramble might snag it.

"We're in," Ladybug whispered. Around them, there was nothing but impenetrable darkness, unaffected by the weak shafts of daylight that peeked in through pinpricks from the black bramble. Clicking noises rattled in the distance. Somewhere else, the sound of dripping water echoed as if falling into a deep crevice.

Adrien was now beginning to regret his decision. Chat Noir's eyes would be incredibly handy right then. Fortunately, Marinette was prepared as she pulled out a gas lantern. It created an orb of light around them, extending only about ten feet before the darkness gobbled up the stray beams that would illuminate their surroundings.

Yup, he was really missing those cat eyes right now.

"Stay on guard," Marinette said, keeping her free hand on the red and black ball at her hip. Adrien didn't need telling. As they walked carefully through the wood, he kept his rapier out and ready, the silver weapon almost humming in his grip as it sensed the imminent danger.

The clicking started getting closer. Soon it was joined by others, timed just so that with a chill Adrien realized that they were communicating with one another. He could sense movement just outside the orb of light, wondering if he was just imagining the glittering beady eyes watching them. Two scaly legs crept into their field of vision. It was their only warning before the air pierced with insectoid screams.

Adrien lashed out, slicing through the scaly black carapace of a spider that was as big as a wolf. More skittered through its cleaved gooey remains in a full blown assault, testing the very limits of his rapier and his stamina. At his back, Marinette kept up in her own way, sending out her legendary yo-yo to entangle the spiders en masse to allow Adrien to pick them off at lightning speed.

Beside them, a spider screeched as it opened up its mandibles to display several clittering tiny fangs in its maw.

"Watch out!" Ladybug cried, throwing her cloak up and around them both, shielding them from a blast of acid. None of it got on them, but it slid and dripped down to the edge of Adrien's cloak on the ground where it ate holes into the thick fabric. Reacting on instinct, Adrien countered and thrust his rapier into the spider's head, killing it in one blow.

Just as suddenly as the assault came, the attack abruptly fell away. There were still some clickings out of the orb of light, though there were far fewer. It was as if the nest had decided the pair of them weren't worth eating.

Marinette and Adrien panted harshly for breath, trying to collect their wits about them. Adrenaline pumped through their veins, still ratcheting their senses to high alert. Adrien glanced to Ladybug out of the corner of his eye. "Nice yo-yo."

"Nice sword," Marinette countered, her lips tugging into a strained smile.

"Cloak's pretty handy too."

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," the huntress replied, shaking off any vestiges of the acid from the bright crimson cloak. Her bluebell eyes flicked over to him. "If you have any up yours, now would be a good time to take them out."

Dread pooled in the pit of his stomach, joining the guilt that had already welled there. "...You're not going to like it," he whispered, even knowing that she was right. This was no time to hold back.

"Try me," Marinette challenged.

A very real fear joined the dread. Adrien swallowed hard, feeling his nerves turn to ice as his thumb traced over the small hard indentation underneath his glove. _Please don't hate me,_ he prayed as he closed his eyes and concentrated.

Even without looking, he knew that his clothes would turn to pitch black for stealth. Two kitten ears sprouted from the top of his head, augmenting his hearing. He willed the mask over his face, feeling the cold leather formfit against his skin. When he opened his eyes again, he could see well beyond their sad circle of light, to the nightmarish landscape that spread before them, from bottomless crevices to fanged, poisonous underbrush, to the packs waiting and hungry as they lurked in the distance. He could also see Marinette so much more clearly and he suddenly wished that he couldn't.

Her bluebell eyes were wide in outrage, nostrils flared as she looked him over. "...Are you kidding me?" she whispered, barely able to speak in her anger. "Are you _kidding_ me?! You were Chat Noir this entire time?!" she howled, her voice sending an interested little flush of creeping fungi scattering.

"Um, I can explain," Adrien replied weakly, but his lady wasn't nearly done.

"Odsbodkin! That money isn't even yours, is it?!" Marinette demanded. "You were paying me with _stolen money?!_ Did you steal that horse too? And your clothes?! Was anything you told me even true?!"

"Milady, of course-" Adrien tried again, his heart beginning to shatter in the wake of her anger.

"And what about this?!" the huntress demanded, gesturing over his outfit and his rapier. "Is this even yours as well or did you steal this off the real Fairy-blessed?"

"It's mine!" the blond snapped, that accusation taking it a step too far. His own outrage quieted her for a brief moment, but that was all that he needed to speak. "This is _mine,_ Marinette," he spoke coldly, pressing a hand to his chest. "You have no idea what kind of situation I was in when my fairy rescued me. His name is Plagg, by the way. When I escaped my father, I was alone, confused, and desperate. I didn't know _anything_ about the outside world. I had _nothing_ and no one would even give me a kind word if it didn't come with the smell of coin. So yeah, I did what I had to do. I'm not going to apologize for trying to survive."

Sucking in a long breath to cool his anger, he added, "Just for the record, I wasn't planning on turning into Chat Noir again. Not since I met you."

Marinette glared at him, affected by his words, although her stubborn anger wouldn't relent so easily. "This isn't the place for this," she decided, biting back her scathing words due to their more pressing concerns. "So what can you do like this? Aside from look like some kind of cat bogeyman?"

The words stung, but Adrien didn't rise to the bait. "The black helps with stealth. The ears enhance my hearing. The mask allows me to see in the dark."

At this, the huntress frowned. She took a look around their surroundings, blissfully unaware of the horrors that Adrien could now see. "So you can see everything now? Hear everything?"

"Yes, I can," the blond answered curtly.

Marinette studied him a little longer, her gaze turning calculating. "Funny how the gift that your fairy godfather gave you makes you uniquely qualified to get through this wood on your own. As if he knew that you would come here. Or he _wanted_ you to come here."

The implication hung between them in heavy silence. "Then I suppose I had better make the best of it," Adrien replied. He turned an uneasy look on Ladybug. "Are you going to leave me here?"

"Of course not," Marinette huffed, insulted by the question. "Although I'm not taking your filthy stolen money."

"...Are you going to turn me in afterwards?" Adrien asked, dreading the answer.

For a long moment, the huntress said nothing. "...I haven't decided," she answered quietly, though there was still some heat in her voice. "We'll talk after we're out of this place. For now, let's go find your mother."

Together, they continued on in terse silence. Adrien felt ill, the sudden loss of Marinette's affection transformed into anger making him sick with worry and loneliness. They were able to navigate through the Black Wood far more easily now, avoiding many dangers and obstacles that would have otherwise endangered their lives. He just wasn't sure it was worth the cost.

As it was, they still had to fight a boar the size of a carriage, nearly choke to death in a grove of poisonous spores, and ration themselves on their diminishing supplies as neither trusted any of the water or plants in this place. In a way, they still needed to trust each other and have each other's back, especially as they took turns taking brief catnaps when they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer.

After a week of trekking through the Black Wood, there finally came a light at the end of the tunnel. A literal light as it turned out, as bright blue will-o-the-wisps floated outside a humble stone cottage overgrown in rose brambles. "Do you see that?" Marinette asked as they approached, her haggard expression finally lightening with a flicker of hope.

Adrien nodded, feeling his chest tighten at the sight. "Let's go."

With far less care than they should have exercised, they ran to the door of the cottage. It took a hard kick to get the heavy wooden door to unjam, which they closed up quickly once they were inside. Once they were safely ensconced inside, they realized that they were still illuminated in a warm blue glow. Fairy stars twinkled above them nestled in between pink roses, casting a magical light down on a slender figure sleeping in the center of the room, blond hair pooling from the bed after years and years of slumber.

Casting off the Chat Noir facade for the first time in a week, everything felt a little muffled as Adrien came back to himself. However, he had to see _her_ with his own two eyes. Butterflies flurried in his stomach as he slowly approached the bed, his dim vision adjusting to the blue lights. When he finally stood over her, taking in her face, horror suckerpunched him in the gut, taking the wind out of him. Her face, Eglantine's face, was one that he was intimately familiar with. After all, he'd spent a lifetime growing into it.

And she was still only sixteen.

His stomach rebelled, nausea and disgust climbing up his throat like bile. He felt dizzy, the world going at a tilt as he lost all sense of balance.

Unsure, Marinette approached the pair of them. She put a hand to his shoulder to steady him, squeezing tightly to ground him. Of course she knew what this meant, as she took in Eglantine's age. It was too horrible to think about. Instead, she said quietly, "She's beautiful. You look just like her."

It had been the wrong thing to say.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Adrien whispered, grasping onto Marinette tightly for support. He wished he'd never come. He could have spent a lifetime not knowing the truth in blissful ignorance. But no, he wanted answers about himself. Answers that he thought that his mother could provide. It turned out that she couldn't even do _that._

"Hey, sit down. Sit down," Marinette hushed, helping the blond down to the wooden floor. She wrapped him up in her arms, gently rocking him as his shoulders began to tremble. Overwhelmed, a keen of despair escaped him, soon followed by another, until he was sobbing into her shoulder. Hushing softly, she peppered his temple and cheek with chaste kisses, as if trying to fight the thoughts that now plagued him. "It's okay, Adrien. It's okay..."

It wasn't okay. He was just so _tired._ Not just from the journey here, but from the obstacles that had been thrown in his way and the trauma he'd had to overcome. Finding his mother had been the one tiny scrap of hope keeping him going for those nights that he spent starving. Some small part of him had desperately wished she would rescue him, even not knowing if she were dead or alive. Then he finally picked himself up and decided just to find her himself, doing what he needed to do to survive in the meantime.

Now he had _nothing._ His only source of happiness was being with Marinette and now he had no idea if he was going to lose that too. His hands grasped her all the tighter, desperate for an anchor. "Stay. Please stay. Please stay with me, please," he begged, fresh rounds of tears rolling down his cheeks.

Marinette, hurt and betrayed, didn't answer right away. Then she let out a faint sigh, with it all the anger she'd been holding onto. "Of course," she murmured, cupping his face in her hands and pressing kisses to his tear-streaked cheeks. "I'll stay, I promise."

Relief flooded through him, making his head fog as the despair slowly began to ebb. He pressed his brow into her shoulder again, his fatigue beginning to get to him. He'd never been Chat Noir for that long before and it had drained him more than he thought possible. Noticing this, Marinette grabbed the bedroll from their pack and eased the blond onto it like a pillow. "Adrien, go ahead and sleep. I think we're safe in here. Just get as much rest as you need."

Mutely, he obeyed without argument and without choice, sleep closing in on him the very moment he closed his eyes.

~o~

The pair of them rested up in the cottage, taking their time to gather their strength back. They were safe there, protected by the same magic that kept Adrien's mother from harm for so long in this dangerous place. However, they could only stay for so long before their diminishing provisions necessitated that they leave the Black Wood or starve.

The 'morning' (since it was impossible to tell what hour it actually was) they decided to leave, Marinette looked up from their packed satchels to find Adrien hovering over Eglantine's sleeping form. "Something wrong?" she asked, coming up beside him and brushing her fingertips over his knuckles. He opened his palm, squeezing her hand in his. The easy and casual touches they shared both surprised her and didn't. After all, they'd spent the past week fighting for their lives alongside each other. It didn't get more intimate than that.

Adrien looked down at the blond girl, his expression troubled. "You said that Plagg gave me a gift that would let me come here relatively easily. Why would he do that if there wasn't anything I could do about this?"

Marinette could only shrug uncomfortably. "Fairies can sometimes be cruel. Or maybe he'd think you'd want to know the truth about your mother."

His green eyes flicked up to hers. "What did you say would lift the curse again?"

That was when she could see what the blond was getting at. "True love's kiss," she whispered, glancing between son and mother, both of them looking so eerily like twins. "Do you think it could work?"

"Only one way to find out." Adrien hesitated, leaning down over Eglantine's frozen features. Then, he pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. Taking a step back, they both waited to see if anything would happen. After an intensely long moment, nothing did. The blond sagged, letting out a sigh, "I guess that was too much to-"

That was when Marinette saw a flicker of movement. "Adrien, look!" she hissed, nodding towards the way Eglantine's eyelashes fluttered.

"Mother!" Adrien cried, his eyes wide as he leaned over the awakening girl.

The blood drained from Marinette's face. She could only imagine waking up after years of sleep only to find out you'd given birth to a son that was as old as you. She kept a tight hold on Adrien's shoulder, bracing herself for the inevitable storm.

Only it never did come. Eglantine blinked blearily up at the boy that hovered over her, her green eyes mirrored back at her. Her mouth tugged into a small, warm smile full of adoration. "I know you," she whispered, reaching up to cup Adrien's face. "I dreamt about you..."

A wide smile broke over Adrien's features, his whole expression lit with boundless joy. "Mother!" He gathered the slender girl up into his arms, burying himself into her shoulder as he held on as tightly as he could. Marinette couldn't help but tear up a little, a smile spreading across her lips. This was a good thing. Very, _very_ weird, but good. She couldn't help but he happy for him.

Eglantine cradled Adrien against her, smile doting as she rocked him like a babe. "Oh, Adrienne," she murmured, pressing a kiss to his temple. "My sweet baby girl..."

At once, Marinette's smile dropped, blinking with bewilderment. Wait. _What?_ Did she hear that right?

Similarly, Adrien froze. He reared back from her as if burned, wrenching himself from her grip. His face was ashen, eyes wide with shock and denial. "No," he hissed, suddenly angry, "No, you're _lying!_ I was cursed! Father _cursed_ me!"

Eglantine only frowned at him. "Adrienne, why would I lie? Even if I was asleep, I would recognize my own daughter-" However, even as she spoke, her frown deepened now that she was able to see him from afar. And clearly see that it was not in fact a girl that stood before him, but a teenaged boy.

"Adrien, what on earth-" Marinette started, unable to wrap her mind around all the conflicting information. Curse? _What_ curse? What did this have to do with Eglantine thinking she had a daughter?

"Well... this is quite the reunion."

A cold voice cut into the cottage, piercing the warm air like a knife. All three looked up to the open door. A masked figure clad in purple and black filled the small doorframe, coming up to his full height as he entered the room. All three occupants tensed as he drew nearer, going on guard from the dangerous aura the sorcerer exuded. Marinette stared, dread crawling down her spine. "H-Hawkmoth?" she yelped, "What are you doing here?"

"Wait, you _know_ him?!" Adrien demanded, his head snapping in her direction.

"Well, yeah, he's the one that hired me to find Chat Noir. To find... you," the huntress answered, her voice growing weaker as comprehension began to dawn. Oh _no._

"That's my father!" Adrien snapped, his green eyes burning in betrayal and outrage. "You brought him here?! You led him to me?!"

"Oh yeah, I sent him a note while we were in the middle of wading through a fountain of boar blood!" the huntress snapped back, her hackles rising in defensiveness at the unwarranted accusation.

"Children, _children,"_ Hawkmoth spoke, his patronizing voice slicing into their argument as he tiredly rubbed his temple. "I can assure you this was simply a happy coincidence. I merely came when my wards alerted me that my bride had finally awoken," he said, his eyes fixing on Eglantine, who drew herself back with a fierce scowl. Then he turned to Marinette. "Although I am... _disappointed_ you did not bring my daughter back to me right away as I had asked. I expected so much more from you, Ladybug. Consider our deal void."

That was when Hawkmoth rounded on Adrien, who glared at him in utter hatred and loathing. The sorcerer tsked softly. "As for you, you insolent _child,_ I have quite lost my patience with you. Your only redeeming quality is that you have brought your mother back to me. How ironic, as this means that I no longer have any desire to keep you."

With a careless flick of his hand, he sent out a black butterfly in Adrien's direction. It landed lightly on him and all at once, he began to choke. He clawed at his throat, eyes bulging as he fought for breath that wouldn't come.

"Adrien!" Marinette shrieked. Burning with fury, she found her sword and slashed it at Hawkmoth's back. It simply went through him, rippling like water. However, the sorcerer was very solid as he casually backhanded her and sent her flying into the stone wall. Meanwhile, Adrien only continued to choke, his face turning blue as he sprawled over the ground.

"Gabriel, no!" Eglantine cried, stumbling forward on atrophied legs to grasp at Hawkmoth's robe. She sank to her knees, green eyes full of tears as she begged. "Don't hurt her! Don't hurt my baby! Please! If even a tiny part of you loves me, you'll let her go! I'll do anything you say! _Please!"_

The masked sorcerer looked between Adrien and Eglantine, his mouth set into an impassive line. "Fine," he said, snapping his fingers. The black butterfly flew out of Adrien's chest, fluttering back to his palm. Adrien rasped for air, taking several deep, painful lungfuls of breath. But at least he was breathing. Hawkmoth took Eglantine by the arm, pulling her up to her feet. "You shall come with me."

The door to the cottage flung open, revealing a portal to what looked like a stone dungeon. Before they stepped through, the sorcerer took one last at Adrien, who had recovered enough only to snarl in his direction. "This form of yours offends me," Hawkmoth sneered, taking out something blue and green from his pocket. He flicked it and the air flashed like metal, slicing through the black ribbon that kept Adrien's ponytail in place.

A scream that reverberated through Marinette's very bones pierced the air, rousing her enough to watch Hawkmoth and Eglantine walk through the portal and disappear in a wink of black. Her eyes snapped over to Adrien, only to give a violent start when she saw him _buried_ in mounds of hair. He was hunched over, his whole body trembling as he stared at the ruined black ribbon in his hands.

"Adrien!" she cried, stumbling forward to catch his shoulders. "Adrien, are you alright?"

" _Don't look at me!"_ the blond shrieked, wrenching himself out of Marinette's hands. His voice so much higher than she was used to.

The huntress gaped, doing exactly what Adrien forbade. Though he shied his face from her, she couldn't help but notice how much more diminished he looked. His frame was slighter, shoulders less broad, his hands more delicate. However, the most telling change were the soft lumps that protruded from his chest.

Marinette went cold. "Adrien," she whispered, her eyes widening. "Are you... are you really...?"

Adrien's face snapped to her, tears of anger welling in his... no, _her_ eyes. For a brief moment, the huntress thought she was staring at Eglantine, but that light in this stranger's eyes was all Adrien's. "No," the girl hissed, her voice breaking with anguish and fury. "This isn't me. This isn't the real me. It's a _lie."_

"Oh, Adrien..." Marinette breathed, her heart breaking, even as her own distress mounted. She had... she'd been in love with a girl...? However, in the face of Adrien's loss, she gathered the other girl up into arms. A chill went down her spine at the foreign familiarity to it, feeling the changes up close and intimately. Even so, she clung tighter. "Don't worry," she whispered. "Don't worry, we're going to figure this out. I promise."

Shuddering, Adrien nodded, trembling as she tried to regain control of herself. When she did, she pushed herself up to her feet, bunching her waves of hair up behind her.

"Did your father do this to you?" Marinette asked uneasily, watching as the blonde managed the mass with practiced ease.

"Among other things," Adrien replied darkly. "There's no use cutting it. It will grow back right away. It was his way of keeping me in check." She turned, giving Marinette a pained look. "You should just leave here without me. I can't travel like this. I'll only slow you down."

"What? _No!"_ the huntress cried, grasping Adrien by her shoulders. "I'm not leaving you. I promised you I'd stay, didn't I?"

The blonde only gave her a dull look. "Even like this?" she asked, gesturing at her feminine body. "This isn't what you signed up for."

Guilt gnawed at the pit of her stomach, as the words echoed what had been whispering at the back of her mind. "It doesn't matter," Marinette replied firmly. Uneasily, she asked slowly, "...What about you? Do you still feel the same way?" She wasn't sure how this worked. Did _everything_ get switched?

However, Adrien regarded her unflinchingly and spoke an unequivocal, "Yes. Yes, Milady. I still adore you. I'm still _me_ in here. It's just the body that's all wrong."

It was surreal to hear the nickname from this girl's lips. More confusing were the feelings of relief and giddiness mixed in with unease. "...Okay," she said, trying to keep her head clear as her heart warred within her. "I... I guess we need to try to fix this hair situation first." She gestured to the ripped ribbon in Adrien's hands. "Let me see that. That's what's been keeping it in check right?" With a nod, the blonde handed it over. Marinette studied the two pieces. Could she try to _heal_ a fairy-gift? She wasn't sure, but there was no way that Adrien could get anywhere like this.

Closing her eyes, she summoned the healing magic from her earrings, willing the two pieces of ribbon to knit back together. It stretched her more than anything ever had, making her dizzy as she combated against incompatible fairy magic. When she opened them again, she saw that it was connected again by tenuous threads. But it was connected. "Here, try," she said, holding the damaged ribbon out.

Adrien's expression was somewhat dubious as she took it. However, she gathered up her hair in a ponytail and tightened it into a knot. At once, she grew taller, losing some of the feminine curves and delicate features that made her the complete likeness of her mother. However, that was the extent of it. She was still undoubtedly a girl. Adrien looked at herself grimly, the disappointment evident in her eyes. Nonetheless, she took her rapier and sliced at the hair underneath the fairy-knot. To both of their immense relief, the hair stayed exactly as it was, growing not an inch.

"Well, I suppose that's something," Adrien remarked dryly, tossing her head back and forth to feel the lightness of her hair. Then she turned her gaze up to Marinette. "I'm going after him," she declared, her tone brooking no argument. "I have to save my mother. It's my fault she's in this situation." In a more unsure tone, she added, "...If you don't want to come with me, I understand. This isn't your problem."

"Odsbodkin, it isn't!" the huntress replied indignantly. She'd never heard anything more ridiculous in her life. "I'm involved in this whether you want me to be or not! He _hurt_ you! Maybe you're different and this is all just so _weird,_ but I still care about you! I'm not going to let him get away with it!"

Adrien blinked at her emphatic response, before a warm and familiar smile spread over her lips. She bowed, taking Marinette's hand to press a kiss to her knuckles. "This is why I love you," she smiled, glancing up at the huntress with bright green eyes. It sent a flurry of confusion through Marinette, her cheeks heating as she grew flustered.

She snatched her hand back. A stab of guilt went through her at the hurt expression in Adrien's eyes. "U-um, right. W-well, we should probably get out of this wood, first things first," she said, trying to shove down her discomfort. "If you're ready, you should turn into Chat Noir."

With a nod, Adrien did as she was bid. A second later, the masked bandit stood in her place, drawing her rapier from her hip. "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

Getting back out of the Black Wood was... difficult, to say the least. Adrien wasn't prepared for how differently Ladybug would treat him, just because he looked a little different on the outside. His prowess hadn't changed, nor had the magic in his sword that won every battle. Yet the huntress seemed _insistent_ on protecting him at every angle, instead of their usual 50-50 partnership.

It got to be so bad, that one time he completely lost his temper at her. "Don't treat me like a girl!" he had snapped, causing Marinette to jolt with guilt and apology. She tried, she really did. However, the chemistry just wasn't there anymore. It made him feel ill.

Adrien supposed he couldn't blame her for having trouble adjusting. He felt like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin in revulsion. He could hardly stand to look at himself, much less _feel_ the foreign and alien landscape of his own body. Now he understood the _wrongness_ that had plagued him his entire life. No matter what his father _or_ his mother said, he knew what he was now. They would never take that away from him. Not ever.

They barely made it out of the Black Wood with their skins intact. With supplies diminished and both bruised and exhausted, they scraped by to the closest town and used his 'filthy' stolen money to let a room to sleep for a whole week. Marinette didn't even make a peep of complaint.

When they were sufficiently recharged, the pair of them took stock of their situation.

"We can't just go after him in his tower," Marinette reasoned, the pair of them discussed over some rather tepid stew. "You saw what he did before. He completely destroyed us without even trying. Did you learn any weaknesses of his when you were, er, growing up with him?"

It was a little difficult not to make a snarky remark. Adrien reigned it in, trying to not let his circumstances rule him. "Believe me, if I did, I would tell you. What I do know is that he can phase in and out at will. He's a fiend at magic. The only thing that seems to make a dent on that curse he put on me is this ribbon," he gestured to the black knot that tied back his ponytail.

That was when Marinette's eyes lit up. "That's right! Fairy magic! It was fairy magic that made your mother sleep and kept her safe from him. ...Relatively," she added, a disgusted pull tugging at both their stomachs. "We should ask our fairy godparents!"

That took Adrien aback. "Uh... okay? Sure? If we could _find_ them."

"Oh, yeah. Tikki's back at my parents' house," Marinette said simply. "She likes their cookies."

The blond stared. "...What?"

"You don't talk to your fairy godparent?" the huntress asked innocently.

"Um... no," Adrien replied slowly. The little black fairy had shown up for all of about ten minutes, barely explained a thing, demanded _cheese,_ then took off. He hadn't seen hide or hair of him since. Might've been _nice_ to have advice while he was out in the real world for the first time.

"...Oh," Marinette intoned awkwardly. A beat passed. "W-well, we can talk to Tikki! She's really sweet! You'll like her!"

With that plan in place, they headed out to the center of the kingdom where Marinette's parents resided. The Ladybug books told Adrien that his Lady was raised by a family of foxes in an magical wood. However, that turned out not to be the case as they approached a humble bakery that was filled with the smell of delicious pastries. Oh _ho,_ so _this_ was where Marinette learned to bake. Adrien was more than a little smug to learn something that no one else knew, watching as Marinette called out to the couple working the stall out front. "Maman, Papa!"

A hugely impressive man and a small friendly faced lady came out to greet her with wide smiles. "Marinette! You're home!" her mother cried, gathering her daughter up into her arms, soon followed by her father. That was when they noticed Adrien. "Oh? Who's this? A friend of yours?"

"Um, y-yes!" the huntress replied, her cheeks warm. "A friend. Yup, she is."

"He."

All three looked to Adrien, who had spoken up. Unapologetically, he reiterated, "I prefer he."

"Ah, r-right," Marinette laughed weakly. "He's a friend. His name is Adrien."

Marinette's parents exchanged a brief look, then took another look at Adrien's unmistakably feminine body. However, they otherwise they seemed to take this in stride. "Er, right!" Marinette's father spoke up. "Well, welcome to our home, young... man. Come in, come in. We still have some food leftover from breakfast."

After they were sufficiently stuffed to the hilt and Adrien was interrogated to grossly personal levels, Marinette took them out to the little grove where Tikki liked to stay. The little patch of trees was quiet, filled with fairy stars that twinkled above a small pool, reminding him of the cottage in the Black Wood. "Tikki! Tikki!" Marinette called, holding out a tray of cookies.

A second later, a little red blur appeared. A tiny fairy appeared before them, smiling brightly at her visitors. "Marinette!" Tikki cooed, nuzzling her goddaughter's cheek. "It's so good to see you! How have your adventures been!"

"Aha... yeah, about that," Marinette said with a strained smile.

That was when Tikki noticed Adrien. "Oh!" she chirped excitedly, "You're Plagg's boy!" The blond's eyes widened, surprised and delighted that he was recognized from the start.

"You know Plagg?" he asked excitedly.

"Oh, of course I know him!" the fairy smiled. "He and I go way back. We're both fairy godparents for your mother actually."

Marinette and Adrien exchanged a look. "That's exactly what we need to talk to you about," the huntress said, settling down to tell Tikki the whole story.

An empty plate of cookies later, Tikki's friendly face was grave. "Oh dear," she murmured, looking between the two Fairy-blessed who sat before her. "This is not good." At their expectant looks, she elaborated, "Normally, a Fairy-blessed will only have one fairy godparent. Adrien, your mother has _seven._ This attracted many suitors back in her day, including your father. Hawkmoth. She fell in love with him, seduced by his sweet words. However, he was only interested in her potential power. To that end, all her godparents came together and decided that the only way to prove he was a fraud was if she was put under a sleeping curse, to be awakened only by true love's kiss. Of course, Hawkmoth failed and she was kept safe from his fiendish plots."

"But... she _wasn't_ safe," Adrien whispered.

"I know..." Tikki whispered, her eyes full of regret. "Plagg had predicted it. He was never a fan of the plan. He wasn't the type for true love's kiss. I'm sure that's why he took an interest in you, Adrien." Shaking her head, the fairy spoke, "In any case, now that Hawkmoth does have her, this means we are all in grave danger."

"So how do we stop him?" Adrien asked, leaning in earnestly.

"Normally, with all of the Fairy-blessed together," Tikki replied, before she shook her head. "Unfortunately, we don't have enough time to gather everyone. You two will have to do. Plagg and I will strengthen your blessings. The only way to defeat him is with Fairy magic. You'll have to work together if you stand a chance. Understood?" Both of them nodded. "Good," Tikki chirped. "Now wait here a moment while I fetch Plagg." With that, she zipped down into her pool, making not a ripple in the water as she disappeared.

At the prospect of seeing his fairy godfather again, Adrien felt his blood alight with anticipation. He clutched his knees, feeling his fingers tremble with nerves. Maybe, just maybe, Plagg could fix his problem. Just like he had before. He'd be whole again. _Right_ again. He felt a hand over his and he gave a small jolt. His green eyes flicked up, meeting Marinette's hopeful smile. One of his own quickly answered.

A moment later as promised, Tikki reappeared out of the pool. Along with her came a very grumpy, black kittenish fairy. Marinette gasped. "Oh he's so cute!"

Adrien paled. Oh no.

" _Cute?!"_ Plagg screeched in a puff of black outrage. "I am not _cute!_ I am a great and powerful fairy king! The most powerful of them all! How dare you call me _cute?!"_ That was when Plagg's green eyes alighted on the blond. "And you! Why are you broken again?! What happened to the ribbon I gave you!"

"Hey, don't call her- uh, him broken!" Marinette snapped, ineffectually jumping to his defense. Adrien supposed it was the thought that counted.

Tilting his head, Adrien showed off the damaged ribbon. "My father sliced it in half. Marinette tried to fix it, but..." He stilled as Plagg zipped over, examining his fairy gift.

Tsking in annoyance, the black fairy huffed. "Well, now it's _ruined._ It took me years to make that! Now there's only one way to fix it!'

"How?" the blond demanded, looking up at his godparent. "Tell me how!"

However, the fickle fairy only scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. "Ugh, it's so _annoying._ I don't want to tell you. Figure it out for yourself." Adrien and Marinette could only gape at him. This fairy was worlds apart from the friendly red fairy that had blessed the huntress with her gifts.

"Are you kidding me?! This is my life we're talking about!" Adrien howled, ready to reach out and strangle his supposed fairy godparent. However, he was turning out to be much more like a fairy nightmare. "I need to go back to normal!"

Tikki coughed delicately. "Adrien, I'm sorry. You won't be able to force him to tell you. You should try him when he's in a better mood." Before Adrien could argue that he couldn't even _find_ Plagg, she continued, "In any case, we don't have time to waste. Plagg, his ring."

Still grumbling, Plagg went to the black ring on Adrien's finger, pressing a tiny paw to it. Just as Tikki went to do the same to Marinette's earrings. Power throbbed from the tiny fairy down into the vessel, sending a chill through the blond's hand and arm as it spread. "Done," the black fairy declared. "You now have my power of destruction. You'll be able to take whatever Hawkmoth can throw at you."

"And you have the power of creation," Tikki smiled to her charge. "Whatever you can think of, you'll be able to create." Marinette's nodded, holding out her hands. A red dagger appeared. She smiled as she gave it an experimental wave. "Only one thing at a time though," the fairy warned.

Adrien was envious for all of a half-second, before he held out his own hands. Black energy formed, bubbling up like small spores. Experimentally he picked up a leaf from the ground. It withered instantly between his fingers, disintegrating into dust.

"I don't think I need to tell you to be careful," Plagg drawled, eyeing the blond with an inscrutable look.

"I know," Adrien replied softly, fisting his hands and letting the power go. A dark determination grew in him, making his eyes fierce and his expression grim. "Plagg?" he questioned, "The powers of Chat Noir you gave me. Did you mean for me to go to the Black Wood?"

The little black fairy regarded him for a long moment. Then he turned away. "She shouldn't have had to sleep forever because of a mistake we made."

That was confirmation enough. Adrien nodded solemnly. "Okay," he spoke, rising up from the ground. Double-checking his power was off, he held out a hand to Marinette to help her up. "We should get going."

~o~

Marinette watched Adrien out of the corner of her eye, while the pair of them traveled through the dense forest valley that surrounded Hawkmoth's tower. She worried for he- uh, him. _Him, him,_ she reminded herself. Pronouns aside, she was very worried. Her light and happy Adrien was gone, becoming consumed by a darkness that seemed to eat away at her _(him)_ every day they drew nearer to the stone tower. She wanted to blame Plagg, for the powers that he bestowed on his charge. However, Adrien was already depressed and moody even before that. Ever since he became she, back in the Black Wood. He, yes, _he_ loathed mirrors (any reflective surface really), was revolted by simple acts of hygiene, and generally just hated himself to the point that it broke her heart.

Marinette wished that there was something she could do, but she feared that she was only part of the problem. Adrien was right. She did treat he- _him_ differently. She didn't even have any excuse for it. She'd encountered more than one cursed individual in her travels. This was no different, though it was still ambiguous whether Adrien was actually cursed or not. The problem was that she wasn't in love with any of them. Before all this, she had thought for sure that if she were in the position that she had to look past a physical deformation to break a curse, she had the heart to do it. Now, she really wasn't so sure and it made her absolutely disgusted with herself.

Now Adrien was just so lost, so angry, so... _broken._

 _What kind of hero am I?_ Marinette wondered, suddenly furious with herself. If the readers of Alya's penny-novels knew that she was like this, they wouldn't think to cheer her name. Odsbodkin, _Adrien_ had been one of those readers and she had let him down in the cruelest way imaginable. Her lips set into a thin determined line. She was going to have to fix this.

Tentatively, the huntress reached out a calloused hand, wrapping Adrien's delicate fingers up in hers. So focused on his own thoughts, the blond gave a fierce start at the touch, looking up at her in bewilderment. Another barb of guilt joined the others that Adrien should be so surprised at receiving such a simple touch. Marinette grinned and squeezed his hand, wordlessly walking with him hand in hand through the underbrush. When no explanation was forthcoming, Adrien's cheeks bloomed into a bright blush, ducking his head down as a tiny, giddy smile spread across his lips.

 _There you are,_ Marinette smiled, her heart glowing as she finally recognized her Adrien in this sullen companion of hers. It was such a small act. She could do so much more to be loving and supportive. And she would. She would do all those things. Anything it took to bring her sweet and happy blond back.

The first of which was to rescue his mother.

The pair of them were only able to revel in the renaissance of their tender relationship for about a day before they came to the base of the tower. The stone structure spun to dizzying heights, nearly touching the clouds. There was not a door anywhere but there were arrowslit windows lower down and then what Adrien assured her were observation windows at the very top. A dark vortex spun slowly above them in the sky, the tower at its center.

"...That doesn't look safe," Marinette noted, her neck craning up to peer up at the tower and the sky above.

"Magic's keeping it up. It's not nearly this tall on the inside besides," Adrien replied, his expression dark. "The vortex is new. We should hurry, Milady." A moment later, he turned into Chat Noir, while the huntress brought out her yo-yo.

"This one's going to be a doozy," Marinette said, having not scaled anything quite this high before. She threw her yo-yo upwards, watching as the nearly infinite line whizzed through the air. It caught onto something, although she wasn't quite sure if it was all the way at the top or only part of the way. She held out an arm, gesturing for Adrien to hang onto her. "C'mon, let's go."

"...Are you sure about this?" Adrien asked dubiously, giving a very worried glance at the questionable thin black line that faded into nothingness from afar.

"What? I thought cats were supposed to land on their feet," Marinette teased, causing her companion to huff. "How did you get down last time?"

"Made a rope from my cut hair and then tried to climb down the rest of the way as Chat Noir. I slipped near the bottom," the blond replied flatly. "I nearly died."

 _Ah._ "W-well, this is almost totally safe!" the huntress assured him. "Just hang onto me, kitty. I won't let you fall." Looking no less doubtful, Adrien latched tightly onto her waist. With a tug, the line began to reel them upwards and the pair rappelled up the stone wall to ascend the tower.

An hour later, they came to the horrifying realization that the fairy yo-yo had not actually made it all the way up. Instead it had snagged onto one of the tiny arrowslits that dotted the tower. Halfway up, they were at a point where when one looked either up or down, either end of the tower narrowed in perspective from the sheer distance.

" _Odsbodkin,"_ Marinette cursed, as they hung in the inbetween, while Adrien began to sweat in terror. His eyes fixed on the forest below, probably imagining all too well the nice splat noise their bodies would make at this height. The huntress looked to the arrowslit above them where her yo-yo connected. "Adrien, think you can hang onto that while I reel and throw again?" she asked, looking down at her companion, only to double-take when she saw his hand crackle with black energy. "Adrien, what are you- That's not safe!"

" _Don't care, don't care, don't care!"_ he cried, pressing his palm against the stone wall. At once, the stone began to crumble and disintegrate, including the wall beneath their feet. They suddenly swung helplessly in the air as the disintegration threatened to spread up to the arrowslit still keeping them anchored.

"No, no, no!" Ladybug cried, using their combined weight to swing into the tower before they fell to their deaths. The arrowslit crumbled, just as they swung into the interior of the tower, sending them flying against the opposite wall and toppling onto the winding wooden stairs. "Ow..." Marinette groaned, feeling the corners of the steps dig and splinter into her back. "Let's not do that again."

"I'm not sure we're going to get the chance," Adrien whispered, as the tower creaked ominously from the gaping hole in its structure and defenses. If Hawkmoth didn't know they were there, they had just announced themselves in the most conspicuous way possible.

"Well, there goes the element of surprise," Marinette muttered, as the pair of them readied their weapons.

Not a moment later, the tall purple and black clad figure flew down from the height of the tower, floating in the empty space around which the staircase wound. The sorcerer looked to the damaged tower, before he turned an infuriated gaze on the two teens. "You _again?"_ he hissed, sneering at them as if they were worms. "One would have thought you would have learned from last time. Especially _you,_ Adrienne." Without warning, he sent two black butterflies in their direction with a flick of his palm.

Adrien growled, his sword taking on a black hue as his destructive power extended to it. With two quick slashes, he cut the insects down. Their wings fell like petals before they disintegrated into dust. "Don't call me that name!"

Hawkmoth sniffed, taking pause to examine the pair of them. "I shall call you whatever I please, _daughter."_ Both his arms lashed out, sending a swarm of butterflies that filled the air all around them. They were too many to hit, even with Adrien's power and his sword.

Without thinking, Marinette thrust her hands outwards. A thin red bubble engulfed them, keeping the butterflies at bay like a protective shield. Even so, it was unnerving to see the light all around them blotted out by thousands of crawling insectoid bodies and legs. "Okay, is that all he can do?" the huntress asked, glancing at Adrien's glowing green eyes.

"Offensively? Beats me," the blond admitted. "Hold up a second." He put his palms up against the red bubble, feeling the way the viscous surface flexed underneath his fingers. A moment later, the butterflies all around them began to crumble, coating the red bubble in gray dust. "Ha! Suck on that!" he crowed triumphantly.

"Now that's using your head," Marinette grinned, letting the bubble pop. They faced Hawkmoth again, who was livid with anger. "There's no point sending more of those things after us," she called to the sorcerer. "Just tell us where Eglantine is."

The masked sorcerer merely tsked at them, flying up to the top of the tower without a word. That was when the wooden steps beneath their feet began to rattle and give. The pair of them shrieked as they began to tumble downwards. Which was when Marinette thrust her hands below them and they both landed in a painful heap on top of a red platform. "What the-" Adrien looked below them. "You can _do_ that?! Why didn't you do that outside the tower?!"

"Give me a break, I'm still learning," the huntress grumped, before her eyes widened. "Watch out!" She grabbed Adrien's head, shoving him down as a wooden step sailed through the air like a javelin. Soon followed by another and another as the interior of the tower began to fall to pieces.

Pushing himself up, Adrien hissed, "I am really starting to get sick of this!" Taking his rapier out, he slashed at each block that flew towards them, sending clouds of dust scattering in his wake.

Meanwhile, Ladybug looked instead to where their real opponent had gone. Where he had come from when they entered the tower. "We need to get up there," Marinette said, using her yo-yo once more to fling it to the top of the tower. Wrapping an arm around Adrien's slender waist, she tugged on the line and sent them hurtling up towards the ceiling, causing the blond to make an undignified yowl of surprise.

The yo-yo had latched onto a support beam just below the trap door that led up to what used to be Adrien's bedroom. With nothing below them besides crumbling stone, Marinette created another platform below the hatch. "You ready?" she asked, putting a hand to Adrien's shoulder. "We don't know what's up there."

"Ready, Milady," the blond promised, eyes set with determination.

With a nod, Marinette shoved the trap door upwards and they climbed up to the highest room of the tower. All around them, bright light beamed in from the large observation windows, diminished only by the dark swirl of clouds that circled above them. The wind pushed outwards and whipped at their red and black cloaks, forcing them to steady their footing. At the center of all this stood two figures. One was Hawkmoth, who loomed over his prisoner. Eglantine stood before a black crystal ball placed on a pedestal, her hands clasped over the dark orb as the winds churned around them. She looked different than before, not from the starlit blue dress and tiara she wore, but from the way her green eyes were glazed and empty.

"What did you do to her!" Adrien snarled, gripping his rapier tightly.

"That is nothing you need to know," Hawkmoth replied coolly. He put a gloved hand to Eglantine's shoulder, speaking gently to her, "My love, I'll take over. Do be a dear and take care of these pests for me."

"Of course, Gabriel," Eglantine replied woodenly, stepping away from the orb. As the sorcerer resumed what foul ritual he had afoot, Eglantine stepped out in front of the pair. She wielded a beautiful blue and green peacock fan. No doubt one of the fairy gifts she'd been given by one of her many fairy godparents.

Marinette went cold. Her eyes snapped over to Adrien, who had gone alarmingly white. Neither of them had ever expected they would have to fight the very person they were here to rescue.

Before either of them could react, Eglantine waved her fan toward them. A powerful blast of air sent both of them flying straight towards the observation windows. Adrien managed to claw onto the frame of one window, while Marinette used her yo-yo to grapple one pillar and slammed unceremoniously into the side of the tower.

Grunting in pain and effort, Marinette scrabbled up the stone wall. She grasped Adrien by the scruff of his cloak, trying to shake some sense into the blond as he froze paralyzed in terror attached to the side of the tower. "Adrien, I got you. Don't look down," she hissed, glancing upwards to the open window. "Someone needs to stop Hawkmoth from- from whatever it is he's doing. Maybe if you knock him out, that will stop whatever enchantment he's got over your mother. I'll distract her and cover you. Got it?"

"G-g-got it," Adrien replied, his teeth chattering. Despite her warning, he looked down and let out a terrified whimper.

"Okay, I'm going to let you go now," the huntress said, "I'll go round to the other windows. Can you get up on your own?" He nodded frantically, in spite of his fear. "Good kitty," Marinette smiled, kissing the top of his head. Then she let go and ran along the outside of the tower, towards the observation windows opposite the blond. Creating another tilted platform in mid-air, she jumped on that to propel herself back into the tower.

"Hey!" she called out to Hawkmoth and Eglantine's backs. "You missed!" Eglantine turned to face her, lips set in a grim line as she opened her fan once again.

~o~

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tower, Adrien braced himself for declawing his hands out of the stone handholds he'd managed to find purchase on. How had he ever thought it was a good idea to sleep this high up the tower? Did he have some kind of death wish? Well, perhaps a little one at the time. Now, however, he very, very, _very_ much wanted to live.

 _C'mon, move it!_ he scolded himself, knowing he couldn't very well stay stuck to the side of the tower forever. Steeling his nerves, he peeled himself off the stone and carefully clambered back into the tower. On the opposite end of the room, Ladybug was making due on her promise to distract his mother. She fought as though she had wings, her red cloak billowing in the air as she sailed fearlessly in the air thousands of feet above the forest below, primarily using her yo-yo and her creativity to keep from plunging to her death. Adrien couldn't help but stare in complete awe, a blush spreading over his cheeks as his heart gave a warm pitter-patter.

Reluctantly, he shook it off. Now was _not_ the time to be distracted. Instead, his green eyes focused on Hawkmoth, who was similarly distracted by his Red Lady. His hands were still placed on the orb in the center of the room, which had only grown darker and more sinister in the moments that passed.

Adrien had no idea what would happen if he simply destroyed the thing. However, seeing as it was the one thing he was terribly good at, it was as good a plan as any. Creeping along the floor with his Chat Noir stealth, he left the darkness form in his palms as he readied himself to pounce on the orb.

" _Daughter,"_ Hawkmoth's cold voice ran over him, sending a chill down his spine. His father peered back at him, eyes narrowing. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Adrien didn't let himself be goaded. Not this time. Instead, he lunged, catching the base of the pedestal that the orb sat on. It began to disintegrate just like everything else. He looked up smugly to see his father's expression. His smile dropped when he realized that the masked sorcerer had simply lifted the orb up and cradled it in his hands. Gritting his teeth, Adrien pushed himself up to his feet, drawing his silver rapier out to attack.

"You are truly getting tiresome, child," his father spoke, his mouth set into a snarl. "Exactly what do you think to accomplish here?"

"Rescuing my mother and stopping you!" Adrien snapped, lunging forward to thrust his rapier at the orb. His attack just barely missed, as Hawkmoth sidestepped the assault.

"Really?" the sorcerer asked in bemusement. "Is that what you _really_ want? After all, you seem to be under some misguided delusion that you were born in the wrong body." His lips formed into a cold, calculating smile. "That is something that I could fix for you."

That stopped Adrien in his tracks. "What?" he whispered, shock running through him.

"Oh, that got your attention, did it?" Hawkmoth drawled. "Yes, it would be mere child's play, as soon as the Orb of Carabosse is finished. I could remake you into whatever you want. Permanently. No _ridiculous_ fairy ribbon required."

Adrien stared wide eyed at his father. His green eyes crept down to his body. No, he was deluding himself. _Her_ body. The body she'd grown up with. The body she hated and reviled. The body that disgusted her, made her feel _alien_ in her own skin. The body that Plagg gave no guarantee that she could free herself from. Just some vague chance that he'd spat out in contempt and annoyance.

 _No. No, don't listen to him,_ Adrien willed her- _himself._ He wouldn't let this foul sorcerer control him again. Not ever. Not even with what he wanted most. Gritting his teeth, he shoved all temptation away as he lunged again, carrying on a full out assault against his father. His silver rapier made contact, the fairy gift slicing flesh where once was air, all aiming for the evil orb.

Letting out a snarl of frustration, Hawkmoth called out to his prisoner. "Eglantine! To me!" His mother turned towards them with vacant eyes, ignoring Ladybug behind her. "Kill her!"

Eglantine nodded, snapping the fan closed. Then with a wave of her arm, the air around her shimmered like metal, a hundred lethal darts poised right at Adrien. "No!" Marinette cried, just as Adrien realized what was about to happen.

Everything happened in slow motion. Thousands of feet in the air, Ladybug ignored the platform that she was supposed to be standing on, instead thrusting her hands out in Adrien's direction. A red shield erected in front of him, just in time for Adrien to see Marinette plummet out of sight. He screamed as the shield in front of him pounded from the barrage of wind darts.

The shield faded, leaving his vision unhindered to find out the horrible truth. He was alone on top of the tower with only Hawkmoth and Eglantine standing before him. There was no ball of red and black tied to the arched windows.

Marinette was gone.

His Lady was gone.

Adrien trembled, his hands shaking as pure fury lapped at his insides, vision spinning until all he could see was _red._ The dark energy around his hands crackled and burst into black flames. He fell completely and utterly into the Black Cat, his pupils cut into small slits and his fingers curled up into claws. Hawkmoth didn't even have time to react, when Chat Noir pounced on him, screaming as those claws raked into his arm. His skin boiled and pussed, oozing in fleshy globs onto the ground.

"Kill it! Kill it!" Hawkmoth howled.

Chat Noir was only dimly aware of the pinpricks of pain all along his back, though the coppery scent of blood only drove his animal instincts further. Tearing the black bauble from his prey's arms, he crushed the ball until it shattered into thousands of glass shards. Poisonous energy released in a sinister miasma all along the floor, making it impossible to breathe. He was beyond caring as his claws tore into the sorceror who writhed in agony.

Finally, both hands clamped onto either side of Hawkmoth's face. His mask cracked as the dark veins spread through his skin and over the silver facade. It crumbled away, revealing the gaunt and ancient face within. It contorted into a silent howl, jaw bubbling and falling away as the skin melted away into a shiny white skull. The bone disintegrated as well, crumbling into dust on the floor. The wind gusts sent it scattering along the floor, until there was nothing left of the sorcerer.

Adrien panted harshly, finally coming back to himself as his vengeance was fulfilled. His head spun, the air thick with the smell of blood and gore. His back was numb, he could barely move. Chat Noir fell away completely as the blond suddenly slumped forward onto the wooden slats. His ears rang with a high pitched tinny sound, muffling the voices that screamed his name.

" _Adrienne!"_

" _Adrien!"_

Dizzy, lightheaded, he closed his eyes and darkness took him.

~o~

The smell of baked goods permeated the warm air, smells of home and comfort. It did little to bring Marinette any solace. She spent her days helping out in the bakery with her parents. Her nights were spent by a certain blond's bedside, keeping an eye on the prone figure for signs of wakefulness.

Weeks had passed since Hawkmoth's demise, weeks since the three of them escaped from the crumbling tower with their lives. Weeks since they made their way to the only place that Marinette could think of, her parents' home where they were welcomed with open arms and anxious faces. In all that time, Adrien never woke. Gruesomely injured by his own mother's hand, Marinette did all that she could to heal his neck and spine. Then spent countless hours after they arrived at her parents' healing him more. Physically, he was fine. So Tikki and Plagg said. He just wouldn't wake.

Exhausted and sick at heart, Marinette entered Adrien's room to find Eglantine hovering over her child's bed. The teenaged mother seemed to have aged decades since the the fight, her face haggard with worry and guilt. She combed her fingers through Adrien's hair, which had stopped growing since the day Hawkmoth was killed. The rest of him though...

Eyeing the delicate shoulders and the small mounds underneath the sheets, that too feminine face, Marinette moved to place a hand on Eglantine's shoulder. "You should get some rest."

"Just a little longer," Eglantine murmured, cupping Adrien's cheek. Her eyes were always hot and wet, threatening to brim with tears. She hiccuped, pressing a kiss to Adrien's fingers. "My poor baby," she whispered, her heart breaking in her words, "my sweet baby girl."

"Boy," Marinette cut in, more sharply than she intended. "He's a boy."

Eglantine gave her a dull look over her shoulder. It only made the huntress angrier. "Why can't you accept his feelings!" Marinette hissed. "He never thought of himself as a girl! He hated it!"

"What do you know? You're not her mother."

"No, but I know him far better than you! And I love him!" the huntress snapped, her eyes lighting with fire. "Why do you think he doesn't want to wake up? He needs to be accepted for what he is inside! _You're_ the one that's keeping him asleep!"

Eglantine flinched violently, but Marinette wasn't going to apologize. She stood her ground, arms folded over her chest, eyes livid. After a tense moment of silence, Eglantine rose from her seat and left with a terse, "Excuse me."

Glaring at her back until the door closed, Marinette turned back to Adrien as her shoulders slumped with fatigue. That conversation was more common than not. As she always did, she took the chair beside Adrien's bed, taking his hand in hers. "Adrien," she whispered, "please come back." As she always did, she leaned over him, pouring all her heart and soul into the kiss she pressed to his lips. However, as always, he didn't wake. Tears brimmed from her eyes, making her vision blurry. Droplets fell onto Adrien's cheeks, even then unmoved. "Why...?" she sobbed, clutching his hand desperately. "Why am I not enough?"

Hours later, after she cried her heart out, Marinette went to find Tikki in her grove, hoping for some comforting words. No doubt Plagg would be there as well. He hadn't left since they day they took off to take care of Hawkmoth. He certainly wasn't leaving while his mortal godson was in such a state.

What surprised her though, was finding Eglantine speaking to her two fairy godparents. She'd avoided them thus far, too broken with guilt to face them. Now however, she conversed with them in low soft tones that went silent as Marinette approached.

"Good evening, Marinette," Tikki called out to her other goddaughter, smiling as the huntress stepped into the grove.

"Hi..." Marinette said uncertainly, her brow knitting into a frown as she regarded the three. "...Should I leave?"

"Actually, this pertains to you," Plagg replied, before budging Eglantine's shoulder. "Tell her."

The blonde teen turned to face the huntress, holding an intact black ribbon in her hands. The sight of it made Marinette suck in a sharp breath, her eyes widening. Looking uncomfortable, Eglantine said softly, "Marinette, you should know that I've spent the past sixteen years dreaming about my baby girl. The fact that she... _he_ didn't turn out the way I've dreamt is... difficult to accept." That was when she squared her shoulders back. "But I'd rather have her as a boy, than not have her at all."

With that she held out the black ribbon. "So here. Take it."

Marinette looked to the ribbon, not quite able to bring herself to touch it. "How did you fix it? Plagg said there was just one way." Her eyes flicked up to the grumpy kittenish fairy. "Was this it?"

"Unconditional love!" Tikki chirped happily, while the black fairy sulked. "Very powerful when it comes from someone Fairy-blessed seven times over." With a sly smile at Plagg, she added, "He didn't want to say it. It grosses him out. Not to mention, it wouldn't have been unconditional if we just _told_ you how to fix it."

The huntress looked to Eglantine. "So, it _was_ you, after all," she spoke, her voice full of dark accusation.

"Marinette!" the red fairy scolded. "She's trying now. Just give her a chance."

Gritting her teeth, Marinette wasn't quite prepared to just let things lie. However, neither could she wait to see if this would work. "You do it," she said, pushing Eglantine's hand back. "If you really mean it, you'll do it."

Eglantine looked faintly ill, but she nodded slowly. "Alright," she said, walking past Marinette back to the house. The huntress followed a step behind, ready to grab her if she changed her mind. Both made their way back to Adrien's room, where the blond still lay in repose. Eglantine took a shaky breath as she knelt by his side. "Adrienne," she murmured softly, "Adrien. I love you." With trembling fingers, she gathered the shortened blond hair in her hands, tying it back into a loose ponytail with the black ribbon. "Be true to your heart," she hushed, pressing a kiss to Adrien's brow. "Be true to yourself."

When Eglantine leaned back, Adrien - the _real_ Adrien - lay in bed. That handsome face, strong shoulders, tall if still slightly slender frame. All that was left to see were his warm green eyes, full of life.

Unapologetically, Marinette sat down on the bed beside him, her heart filled to bursting as she looked on the boy she had fallen in love with. She peppered his face with kisses, finally pressing a warm and loving kiss to his lips. Even before she pulled away, she could hear his breath turn uneven, feeling him stir underneath her.

Two tired green eyes blearily opened, blinking against the light. Adrien's lips stretched into a smile as he saw Marinette hover above him. "Hey you," he croaked, his voice hoarse with disuse.

"Hey yourself," Marinette smiled, her eyes tearing up again. This time with happiness. "Long time no see."

Adrien looked around his environs, brow knitting into a faint frown. "...Heaven looks a lot shabbier than I thought it would."

The huntress let out a bright laugh, even though the boy had inadvertently insulted her parents' home. "Adrien, you're not dead!"

At this, the boy blinked, turning a confused look on his Lady. "I'm not?"

"No~" Marinette smiled.

"And... _you're_ not?" he asked uncertainly.

"You can't get rid of Ladybug _that_ easily," she replied, giving the blond a sly look. "I guess you weren't as big a fan as I thought you were, if you had so little faith in me."

Adrien stared at her in complete dumbfoundment, his eyes widening to comical proportions. "Milady!" he cried, managing to push himself up from bed, wrapping the love of his life up into his arms. He never even noticed that he was back in his real body. Marinette smiled, her cheeks rosy and eyes full of bliss. She couldn't _wait_ to see his reaction.

~o~

 _Months later..._

Alya huffed as she tapped her pen against her parchment, trying to will some kind of story to come to mind. Nino eyed her from across the table, sipping at his cider as the writer let out a growl of frustration. "You know she's not going to like it if you just make stuff up," he remarked idly.

"Well then she needs to actually _talk_ to me! Not ditch our meetups to go make out with her boyfriend!" the fiery-haired girl snapped impatiently. "You have no idea what kind of pressure I'm under to write more books! My publishers are going nuts, hounding me for stories!"

"And Eglantine has no idea where they are?"

"Of course not," Alya sniffed. "They're just off on one of their amazing adventures that they have no intention of telling me about. They just don't understand! Everyone is gagging to hear about what they're up to. They're not allowed to be famous and not talk to anyone!'

"In their defense, they didn't exactly _ask_ for infamy," the bard said with a raised eyebrow. However, his companion wasn't listening.

"Okay, how about this? Ladybug and Chat Noir go into the woods, then find a cottage made out of candy and sweets. Chat Noir leads them in, because he's hungry and they meet a witch that wants to eat him."

"And this cottage is not overrun with ants?" Nino asked.

"No, because- it's _magic,_ obviously!" Alya scoffed. "Okay, how about they find some magic beans that grows into a giant beanstalk that leads them to a giant in the sky. Then Chat Noir being the klepto that he is, steals a golden goose and they have to run for their lives to escape the giant."

"Why exactly am I the one who's always getting us in trouble?" a voice called behind the pair. Alya and Nino looked up to the entrance of the inn, watching as Marinette and Adrien entered the dining hall arm in arm. They wore their signature red and black cloaks, his hand on the hilt of his rapier and hers brushing against the yo-yo on her hip. A hush went over the room as the patrons recognized the pair of adventurers, whispering excitedly as they crossed the hall.

"...You're making stuff up about us again, aren't you?" Marinette said as she glared at Alya, her voice dripping with disapproval.

"W-well, just a _little,"_ the writer said defensively. At the huntress' withering glare, she cried, "You don't understand! People are devouring Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir! They can't get enough of you two!"

The rogue out of the famous pairing sat himself down next to Nino, grinning broadly at his Lady. "Oh c'mon, Milady. You can't deny your adoring public," Adrien teased, stealing Alya's cider out from under her nose. He was far from the naive bumpkin that Alya and Nino first met months previously in this very same city. Of course, no one realized at the time that he also happened to be the infamous bandit terrorizing travelers on the highway. (Technically still something of a fugitive from the law.) Now it seemed he was showing his true colors, equal parts sweet and downright devious. Everyone was convinced that the only person who could keep him in check was the famous Lady du Chase.

Who was still leveling a dark glare on her old friend. "Last time you turned me into a mermaid," she hissed, folding her arms over her chest.

"It was... cute?" Alya tried helplessly.

"It was pretty cute," Adrien chimed in unhelpfully, grinning a smug smile. He batted the air, waving for the huntress to join him. "How about this? Alya promises not to make anything else up and we tell her about _that."_

" _That_ story?" Marinette frowned as Alya perked up in interest. "No, we can't tell her _that_ story."

"What story?" the writer demanded, holding her pen at the ready over her parchment.

"The story that we promised we would never, _ever_ tell anyone," the huntress replied, giving her partner a disapproving look. "No matter _who_ asks."

"Wait, you can't- I'm _your_ writer! You can't just dangle that in front of me and not tell me!" Alya cried in outrage.

Marinette and Adrien both exchanged a look. "Well... _only_ if you swear that you'll never make up anything about us ever again," the huntress said reluctantly.

"I promise!" Alya swore, making a cross over her chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die!"

"You better be joking. That stuff can happen," Nino frowned, but he was simply ignored.

After another conspicuous shared look, Marinette nodded at her partner. Adrien's mouth split into a wide grin. He leaned forward conspiratorially. "Okay, so! It all starts with a turnip."

"A _what?"_ Alya blanched.

"No listen. It gets better," the blond assured her, before he began to spin his yarn.

Marinette leaned back in her seat, smiling to herself as Adrien launched into a story that he was completely pulling out of his ass. However, he was so bright and animated that he drew a crowd around him as they tried to listen in on Alya's exclusive story. His eyes flicked to hers, glowing with contentment and adoration, reflecting the warmth in her own heart.

He never looked happier.


End file.
